Elite Performance

Leader’s Edge was privileged to host “An Evening with John Maxwell and Tim Kight” on February 12. John Maxwell is one of our world’s top leaders and thinkers. He has written more than eighty books, many of them on the New York Times best-seller list and has been influencing my life since I was very young. John says, "Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another."

That is a description of Tim Kight’s leadership. He founded Focus 3 in the mid-80s in Southern California. He is a self-described life-long student of elite performance with the passion and drive to help organizations achieve their goals.

In his college days, Tim transferred from Ohio State to UCLA while running Track. At UCLA he witnessed John Wooden win his 9th and 10th national championship. That experience raised curiosity as to what distinguishes elite performers from average performers. He has pursued the answer ever since.

Tim’s talk was so helpful, I want to share a few notes with you in hopes it will prompt you to check him out yourself.

Become an elite performer by becoming the best version of yourself, not compared to someone else; compared to you.

• Talent is a gift. Elite is a choice.

• You are capable of building a skill for which you don’t have the talent.

There is a gap or distance between where you are now and what is possible. The Edge is that place in the middle where you make the decision, you make the CHOICE, to do the things the AVERAGE guy won't do.

All human development and improvement come by working the process, investing the time, and solving the problems.

• There is enormous power in small, slow, daily work. We want big, fast, and now.

• If you want to go fast, slow down and focus.

• If you want to accomplish something big, do the small things first.

• If you want to achieve an important breakthrough, work the daily process required to make that happen.

• The decision to start is easy. Keeping going requiresworking the process, investing the time, and solving the problems. All human development requires it.

Successful people are not more intelligent or talented. They are more focused.

• Just because something gets your attention doesn’t mean it deserves it.

Elite performers have more energy because they have learned to create their own energy.

Use mistakes as feedback. It’s not a matter of whether you will make a mistake. It’s a matter of what you learn when you do.

If you want to go to the next level, there’s a bridge of fear you must cross. When you are caught in the grip of fear it is hard to know what is real and what you are imagining.

Be coachable. Everyone needs a notice and a truth-teller in their life in addition to their spouse.

• Don’t ask people to be better at what they do unless you get better at what you do.

• You can protect your ego, or you can get better, but you can’t do both.

I’m planning to learn much more from Tim in the days ahead! I hope you will too. www.focus3.com